Large medal bar with 11 decorations: Iron Cross 1914 2nd Class with attached 1939 Clasp in reduced form. Medal for the Winter Battle in the East.
Württemberg Military Merit Order Knight's Cross, silver gilt, finely enameled on both sides. Württemberg Friedrich Order Knight's Cross 2nd Class with Swords, silver, the overlays gilded. The empty presentation case included. Honour Cross for Front Fighters 1914-1918. Austria Military Merit Order Cross 3rd Class with War Decoration. Wehrmacht Long Service Awards for XXV years and for 12 years with 2 applied ribbon eagles. Medal in Commemoration of October 1st, 1938. Italy Silver Medal for Military Valor “Al Valore Militare”, reverse without engraving. With matching ribbon bar.
Iron Cross 1914 1st Class, slightly convex version on silver plate, reverse stamped “925” silver. With the 1939 Clasp 1st Class made of fine zinc, silver-plated. Another 1939 Clasp 2nd Class on ribbon for the field tunic. War Merit Cross 1939 1st Class with Swords, tombac silver-plated. Infantry Assault Badge in Silver, tombac hollow-embossed. Wound Badge 1939 in Black, iron, reverse maker mark “32”. 2 unworn Wehrmacht Long Service Awards for 4 and 18 years, with ribbons. With the award packet “Dienst-auszeichnung I. Klasse” (located on the medal bar). Croatia Order of King Zvonimir Commander's Cross with War Decoration, on neck ribbon. Additionally a pair of collar tabs and shoulder boards as Generalmajor as well as 2 identification tags “Stb. II./J.R. 50 Nr. 67” and “St. III./JR. 284 Nr. 64”. All pieces lightly worn in good to very good condition.
Additionally an Army Honor Roll Clasp 1957 version with small box.

Konrad von Alberti served in World War I as Leutnant in the Royal Württemberg Grenadier Regiment Queen Olga No. 119. In the Wehrmacht from 1935 instructor at the War Academy, in January 1937 promotion to Oberstleutnant. From October 1937 to September 24, 1939 Commander II. Battalion Infantry Regiment 50, thereafter Commander of Infantry Regiment 283. On November 1, 1939 promotion to Oberst, from November 1939 to July 1941 Field Commandant 580, thereafter until May 1942 Field Commandant 240. From June 20, 1942 Commander Infantry Regiment 179 until his wounding in early January 1943. Promotion on April 1, 1943 to Generalmajor, and until May 16, 1943 at special disposal at Headquarters Army Group South. On May 16, 1943 Commander of the 246th Infantry Division until September 12, 1943. Thereafter until July 1944 assignment in the home war zone. On July 18, 1944 to September 30, 1944 as Chief of Division Liaison Command 182 in the Italian Social Republic RSI. From November 1, 1944 to March 26, 1945 Commander of Combat Zone XII South. Finally from March 26 to May 5, 1945 Commander of “Kampfgruppe von Alberti”, on May 5, 1945 taken prisoner of war, released 1947. A printout of his military biography is included.

The estate is 100% cohesive and all parts are original, nothing was added after 1945, we were able to acquire the estate directly from the family.

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Wehrmacht: Large group of awards from the estate of Generalmajor Konrad von Alberti

The military estate collection (Ordensnachlass) of Generalmajor Konrad von Alberti represents a remarkable testament to a career spanning both World Wars, from the Royal Württemberg Army to the Wehrmacht of the Third Reich. Acquired directly from the family and remaining completely intact since 1945, this collection provides collectors and historians with an undisturbed window into the decorations and personal effects of a German officer who rose from a First World War lieutenant to a divisional commander and general officer in the Second.

Biographical Context

Konrad von Alberti was born on 17 July 1894 in Stuttgart. His military career began in the First World War as a Leutnant in the Königlich Württembergisches Grenadier-Regiment Königin Olga Nr. 119. Entering Wehrmacht service from 1935, he served as an instructor at the War Academy before being promoted to Oberstleutnant in January 1937. He commanded the II. Battalion of Infantry Regiment 50 from October 1937 to 24 September 1939, then took command of Infantry Regiment 283, receiving promotion to Oberst on 1 November 1939.

His subsequent postings included service as Feldkommandant 580 (November 1939 to July 1941) and Feldkommandant 240 (July 1941 to May 1942). From 20 June 1942 he commanded Infantry Regiment 179 until he was wounded in early January 1943. Promoted to Generalmajor on 1 April 1943, he commanded the 246th Infantry Division from 16 May to 12 September 1943. From 18 July to 30 September 1944, he served as Chief of Division Liaison Command 182 in the Italian Social Republic (RSI). He then commanded Battle Area XII South from November 1944 to March 1945, and finally led the eponymous Kampfgruppe von Alberti from 26 March until 5 May 1945, when he was taken prisoner. He was released in 1947 and died on 1 August 1967.

The Württemberg Decorations

Among the most historically significant pieces in this collection are the Württemberg decorations documenting von Alberti’s First World War service. The Württemberg Militär-Verdienstorden (Military Merit Order), with origins tracing back to the Militär-Carls-Orden instituted in 1759 and reformed in 1799, was awarded in the classes of Grand Cross, Commander, and Knight’s Cross. The Knight’s Cross present here, executed in silver gilt with fine enamel on both sides, was bestowed for bravery in war or for 25 years of loyal peacetime service. The Friedrichs-Orden (Order of Friedrich) Knight’s Cross 2nd Class with Swords, rendered in silver with gilt applications, recognized military merit, with the swords being added from 1870 onward to denote wartime service.

Second World War Decorations

The collection encompasses a wide array of Wehrmacht-era decorations reflecting different facets of von Alberti’s wartime service. The Iron Cross 1914 1st Class in its slightly curved form on a silver plate, reverse-stamped “925,” is complemented by the 1939 Clasp (Wiederholungsspange), indicating renewed distinction in the Second World War. The large medal bar features the Iron Cross 2nd Class 1914 with its own reduced 1939 clasp, along with the Medal for the Winter Campaign in the East, Wehrmacht Service Awards for 25 and 12 years, and the Medal commemorating 1 October 1938, among others.

The Infantry Assault Badge in Silver, instituted on 20 December 1939, was awarded to non-motorized infantry and mountain troops who participated in infantry assaults on at least three separate days of battle after 1 January 1940. With an estimated 500,000 awards made, it was one of the more widely distributed combat badges, yet it remains a meaningful indicator of frontline combat service. The Wound Badge 1939 in Black, bearing the reverse manufacturer’s mark “32” identifying W. Hobacher of Vienna – one of 24 approved manufacturers – documents von Alberti’s wounding in early January 1943. The black grade was awarded for one to two wounds sustained.

The Ehrenblattspange (Honor Roll Clasp) of the Army, instituted on 30 January 1944, was reserved for soldiers whose names had been entered in the Honor Roll of the German Army for exceptional bravery – a distinction positioned above the Iron Cross 1st Class but below the requirements for the Knight’s Cross. Approximately 4,547 awards are known, of which 167 went to members of the Waffen-SS.

Foreign Decorations

The Croatian Order of King Zvonimir, present as a Commander’s Cross with War Decoration worn at the neck, reflects von Alberti’s service in the Italian Social Republic. Instituted on 17 May 1941 by Ante Pavelić, this order was conferred for civil and military merit in five classes plus three grades of medal, and could be awarded to foreigners including Wehrmacht personnel. The addition of oak leaves or swords designated wartime service. The Italian Silver Medal for Military Valor (“Al Valore Militare”), instituted in 1833, was awarded for outstanding bravery to military personnel and was also conferred upon selected German officers during the wartime Axis cooperation.

Post-War Legal Significance

The inclusion of the Ehrenblattspange in its 1957 version with a small box is of particular note. Under the German Law on Titles, Orders and Decorations of 26 July 1957, many Second World War decorations could be worn in denazified form, with National Socialist emblems replaced by neutral designs – in this case, crossed swords replacing the swastika. The presence of this piece confirms that von Alberti exercised his right to wear his decorations in the Federal Republic of Germany after the war.

Collecting Significance

This estate collection derives exceptional value from its confirmed completeness and direct family provenance. It has remained 100 percent intact since 1945 with no post-war additions. The combination of Württemberg, German, Austrian, Croatian, and Italian decorations with personal items – including Generalmajor collar patches and shoulder boards, and two identification tags marked “Stb. II./J.R. 50 Nr. 67” and “St. III./JR. 284 Nr. 64” – provides comprehensive documentation of a distinguished military career across multiple theaters and decades of service.